ation grounded
their hopes on the issue of the Conference at Baden, and on the aid
promised them by Conrad Treger of Freiburg, Provincial of the
Augustines, who had some reputation for learning. Haller and his
friends turned their eyes to Zwingli. They did not rest until the
Council, which at first intended to restrict the invitation to the
Conference to narrower limits, had extended it to the whole
Confederacy. In the most anxious letters Haller entreated the Reformer
not to remain away. He Bent the theses drawn up by him and his
colleague, Francis Kolb, to Zwingli for revision, with the request to
have them printed in Zurich. The town-clerk of Bern did the same thing,
in the name of the Council. Zwingli promised, sent books and advice,
and spread the Bernese letters of invitation also among his friends in
Germany. "We have," Haller had written, "the wolf by the ears, but only
between door and hinge, and do not know how to deal with him.
Therefore, there is some hope among all good Christians here that thou
wilt come. Thou knowest what is now laid on Bern, and what great
scandal, scorn and shame would at once fall upon the Gospel and us, if
we should not prove sufficient for the task. The burgomaster Roist,
when he was last here, gave us to hope, that he would also come.
Have no fear of way-laying, our government will provide for your
safe-conduct. Believe me, many call for you. But others prophesy that
my Lords will not make much out of the disputation, and the last
disappointment will be greater than the first. Stand by me, or rather
undertake it thyself. I have written to [OE]colampadius, but do not
know whether he will come; he has answered that he would like Zwingli
to support us. _Summa_; He has bathed, (_gebadet_), thou shouldst lead
the bear-dance."[10]

Zurich had heard the resolution of the Bernese with great joy.
Immediately a public safe-conduct was made out for all travelers to
Bern, and attendance at the Conference recommended to all belonging to
the canton, especially to the priests, who had not yet joined in the
Reformation; but Zwingli, who had urgently begged for permission, was
commanded to go thither, and the learned Pellikan and Collin, along
with the preacher Megander, to assist him, all at the expense of the
government.

What anxiety, on the other hand, this disputation created among the
Five Cantons, appears from their attempts to prevent it. Immediately
after the resolution of Bern was m